In Latin America, a leftist vision is taking hold

International Herald Tribune ^ | DECEMBER 9, 2005 | Juan Forero

[Ooh-Ah]

MOROCHATA, Bolivia In perhaps the quirkiest, most colorful of the many presidential campaigns...

Morales, 46, a former llama herder and coca farmer leader who has a slight lead in the polls for Bolivia's election on Dec. 18, offers what may be the most radical vision in Latin America, much to the dismay of the Bush administration. But the sentiment extends beyond Bolivia. Starting on Dec. 11 in Chile, voters in 11 countries will participate in a series of presidential elections over the next year that could take Latin America further to the left than it already is.

Since an army colonel, Hugo Chávez, won office in Venezuela in 1998, three quarters of South America has shifted to the left, though most countries are led by pragmatic presidents like Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil and Néstor Kirchner in Argentina.

That decisive shift has a good chance of spreading to Bolivia, Ecuador and, for the first time in recent years, north of the Panama Canal.

[coconutt2000]

Congratulations are in order for Jimmy Carter.

[Sam the Sham]

That made very little sense.

You think love for America has ever been particularly intense in Latin America ?

[PetroniusMaximus]

China is behind this.

[rovenstinez]

and NOT to leave out Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico

[GAB-1955]

No, that's a stupid assumption. Carter's been out of power for years, and there had to be a sufficient political movement in Latin America for the left to get a toehold. The whole of the continent moves left for reasons that have to do with economics and cultural anti-Americanism, not active interference from outsiders.

[Thunder90]

So is Russia and other communist states.

[msnimje]

May they enjoy their poverty and lack of freedoms.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

ping

[armydawg1]

This would be a great time to start shipping the illegals home, let their new socialist governments take care of them.

[armydawg1]

God doesnt drag anyone into heaven.

[Thunder90]

Chavez PING

[coconutt2000]

The point of the article revolves around the Venezuela election of Hugo Chavez. Carter legitimized the referendum on Chavez's government. This in turn encourages the Leftward trend in Latin America.

Not the cause, but definitely a helping hand who held the nail while someone else used the hammer.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

It may seem improvised, but those who know Morales said his is a calculated campaign that draws its strength from the support he has built across Bolivia through his political party, the Movement Toward Socialism.

[Wolfhound777]

Some of my initial thoughts on neglect of our own back yard:

1. We are asleep at the switch. We have lost the ability to be proactive with our influence and now just react to events after they happen.

2.We can't multi task. We have tunnel vision for the trouble spot du jour. We are focused on the Middle East, not the middle east plus Russia-China or South America and what their interests might be or how they see themselves projecting power. Even if there have been some astute analysts that have been ringing the alarm bell for the last few years, it doesn't matter because their bureaucrat bosses don't want to rock the boat or be seen as politically incorrect. Congress would be all over them for the audacity of reports that might bring negative connotations to their constituents third world toilet home country. Even if that home country is becoming a threat, we just have to pull the wool over everyones eyes and pretend that all is well.

3. Our intelligence agencies are completely incompetent and refuse to see the monsters under the bed. They have all been educated at ivy league institutions of liberal think and can't see the problems for what they are. We need to hire more warriors not candy a$$ analysts. There are plenty of analysts already and their ability to fuse intelligence into an accurate big picture is suspect.

4. The State Department has forgotten that they are employed to work for solely (diplomatically of course) for our national interests and not for the interests of the countries that they get posted to. I have seen and heard too many of these loons publicly rail against and chastise the US in favor of the country that they are working in. That's unacceptable and they should be relieved of duty on the spot.

5. The Demoncrats are secretly all for the United States being surrounded by socialists and communists as this is the new Progessive way of government that they want to bring to America. So don't count on Congress to address the problem any time soon.

6. Half the citizens in this country couldn't care less as long as they have their MTV.

7. The communists saw the opening and lull in our interest and took the initiative.

[Xenalyte]

Our global influence is now deemed cultural imperialism, and we are evil for even considering exercising it.

[A. Pole]

Congratulations are in order for Jimmy Carter.

Should we not blame Clinton?

[coconutt2000]

Blaming Clinton is getting old. Besides, Carter is linked directly to the legitimizing of Hugo Chavez's regime when he approved of the referendum.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

7. I think there's a part of the Latin American socialist movement, which wants ATTENTION. Perhaps it should be given some.

Benign neglect is clearly not working.

[Wolfhound777]

I couldn't agree more. Venezuela comes to mind.